Process for the destruction of noxious insects



PATENT MOENS, 0F AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.

PROCESS FOR THE"DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS INSECTS.

No Drawing. Application field September To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat we, HERMANUS GERAR- DUS RINGELING and NEELTJE LOUWRINA WIBAUT-ISEBREE MOENS, both subjects of the Queen of the Netherlands, and both residing at Amsterdam, Province of North-Holland, Kingdom of the Netherlands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for the Destruction of Noxious Insects, of which the following is a specifi cation.

It is well known that the eggs and the larvae of clothes lice are killed with prussic acid, sulphurous acid, 620., in a gaseous condition and, as discovered earlier by us, also with dry ammonia gas."

The clothes moths (Tinea pelliomella), the death tick (Ana-Mum pertinaaa) and the wood worm (Lg ctus caniculatus) can be also killed with ammonia gas.

By the present invention, noxious insects, such as, for instance, woodworms, death ticks and other little beetles, moths, mites, &c., which live in and exist upon materials such as, for instance, wood, fabrics, tobacco, copra, feathers, cacao,vegetable fibre, &c.,are killed; the objects in which these insects, their eggs, or their larvae, are concealed are placed in a chamber which has been evacuated and into which dry ammonia gas is introduced, which acts at the temperature of the room for a certain time.

The novelty of this process consists in the following: a 1'. In the use of a vacuum in combination with the use of ammonia gas.

2. In the complete dryness of the gaseous ammonia used.

3. In the low temperature at which the process takes place.

The most important features of this are:

I. That the gas used is innocuous to human life, in which it differs from plrussic acid, the so-called Cyclon and su phurous acid gases and carbon di-sulphide.

II. That the gas does not affect fibre, metal, wood, tobacco, copra, feathers, cacao beans, and plant fabrics, wherein it differs from sulphuro-us acid gas, and

III." That the process takes place at a low te% 'erature and in the dry state.

tant, particularly for ursespeci'ally cara- (which is very sensitive) and astrachan. Agaimfor furniture (which is often glued),

e last mentioned oint is very impor- 7, 192a. SerIaI'No. 661,514.-

oFFlCE-fl HERMANU S GERARDUS RINGELING AND NEELT-TE LOUWRDTA. WIBAUT-IEQRIfiE that of museums), for arm-chairs,

the seats of which are riddled or damaged,

for tobacco, or for feathers which have beeneaten away by little beetles, for cacao "beans in whichmites have accumulated; for vegetable fibre'upholstery (crin vgtal) of armchairs and sofas, in which moths (Glyciphagus domestz'cus) are enclosed, &'c.

All these articles and many others can be completely disinfested without damaging them in any way.

IV. The especial value of this process lies in the cheapness of execution, because heat nzgdwith costly disinfection-means is obvia 'e a The dry ammonia gas is obtained from fluid ammonia which is obtained in the market in metallic cylinders, in which it is contained under a pressure of about 6 atm.

The process is carried out in an apparatus ing to the articles to be disinfested.

Examples.

' 'A. Killing clothes moths.

First, a sofa fested, were a cardboard and two chairs, greatly inplaced in the apparatus; next, box containing folded dolls clothes, greatly infested; thirdly avsuit of and a small carpet, likewise infested;

clothes The apparatus was then closed and the evacuation of the air wasbegun at 2.20 p. In. An air pressure of 160 mm. of mercury was produced at 230p. m. and an air pressure of 100 mm. of mercury, at 2.40 p. m.

The dry ammonia gas which was taken from a cylinder containing liquefied ammonia gas (NH .under pressure was admitted at 2.44 p. m."to 2.55 p. m. The gas was allowed to act from 255p. m. to 3.55 p. m. During this time, the manometer showed a pressure of 420 to 360 mm. mercury.

2.5 kilos of ammonia gas were used for a chamber of 4 cubic meters.

At the conclusion of the treatment, the ammonia gas was withdrawn from the ap paratus, and removed from the articles treatedby suction and airing.

B. Killing wood worms.

Into the same apparatus were placed two small tables, a small oak press, a small beech wood box, a wheel, a wooden screen, a clothes stand, two chests of drawers, a desk, a cover of a wicker basket.

All these articles were worm-eaten.

The apparatus was closed and the evacuation of air was begun at 11.37 a. m. A lowered air pressure of 160 mm. mercury was produced at 11.4t5 a. m., a pressure of 110 mm. mercury at 11.55 a. m. Then ammonia gas was admitted in the same way as above, from 11.55 a. m. to 12.05 p. m.

Then the articles in the apparatus were left in contact with the ammonia gas from.

12.05 p. m. until 1.05 p. m., when the removal of ammonia gas was accomplished by evacuation and airing.

In all, 2.5 kilos of fluid ammonia are used.

C. Killing of beetles, moths and mites (house mites-Glyoiphagus domesticus).

Into the same apparatus as in A and B, the following articles were introduced.

A box containing beautifully coloured exotic beetles of a beetle collection, a collection of beautifully coloured exotic feathers taken from the Zoological Museum of Amsterdam, a quantity of Deli tobacco, a number of cigars, a quantity of copra, a quantity'of cacao beans, an armchair, footstool, and sofa with vegetable fabric upholstery crin vgtal). v

The apparatus was then closed and the evacuation of the air was begun at 1.11 p. m. A loweredair pressure of 160 mm. mercury was produced at 1.21 p. m. The admission of dry ammonia gas, taken from a. metallic cylinder containing fluid ammonia, took place from 1.23 p. m. to 1. 16 p. m. The articles were exposed to the ammonia gas from 1.46 p. in. until 2.46 p. 111. After that, the

ammonia gas was removed from the apparatus and from the articles therein by evacuation and by passing air through it dried with quick lime, both operations being repeated three times.

The total amount of fluid ammonia used was again 2.5 kilos.

The temperature of the working chamber was 155 C. and the barometer reading fluctuated between 7 17.5 and 7 45 mm. mercury.

What we claim is:

1. An insecticidal process, comprising the steps of depositing insect-infested articles in an air-tight container; extracting the air from the container; introducing ammonia gas into said containerto act on the articles therein for a given period; and thereafter removing said gas from the container and from said articles.

2. An insecticidal process, comprising the steps of depositing insect-infested articles in an air-tight container; extracting the air from the container; introducing dry aminonia gas into said container to act at room temperature on the articles therein for a given period; and thereafter removing said gas from the container and from said articles.

3. An insecticidal process, comprising the steps of depositing insect-infested articles in an air-tight container; extracting the air from the container; introducing ammonia gas into said container to act on the articles therein for a given period; withdrawing said gas from the container at the conclusion of such period; subjecting said container, with the articles therein, to suction and airing to remove the gas therefrom; and then removing the articles from said container.

4. An insecticidal process, comprising the steps of depositing insect-infested articles in an air-tight container; extracting the air from the container; introducing dry ammonia gas into said container to act at room temperature on the articles therein for a given period; withdrawing said gas from the container at the conclusion of such period; subjecting said container, with the articles therein, to suction and airing to remove the gas therefrom; and then removing the articles from said container.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures.

Dr. liERMANUS GERARDUS RINGELING. Dr. NEELTJE LUUWRINA WlBAUT-ISEBREE MOEIIS.

Witnesses: j

H. Y. K, W. Wmm. 

